Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
HOW DO I ATTACH FLOATING BAITS TO THE HOOK?
QWhat’s the best method of attaching hookbaits when fishing on the surface? The fish always seem to spook off my hairrigged baits. Adam Wilson, via email
JOE ATKINSON: If I am fishing for bigger fish and know that I am not going to be catching many, I superglue the bait to the hook. If I am going to be catching a few, then hairrigging is the quicker and easier option, but I ensure that the hookbait is tight to the hook. I use 12mm Krill pop-up hookbaits,, trimmed to the shape of a floater. They are ultra-buoy ultra-buoyant, withstand numerous casts and match the smell of the Krill Floaters that I would feed.
QI’ve got loads of different shaped leads but I’m not really sure about which I should use and when. Do certain leads work better over different types of lakebeds? Christopher Baxter, via email
DAN WILDBORE: I change the shape and size of the lead, depending on the range, the lakebed and the lake I am fishing. If I am fishing on a hard spot on a lake that sees a lot of pressure, I would be looking to use a large lead, something like a 5oz flat pear. If the spot is very small, a large lead will be difficult to use. The heavier the lead, the greater the stretch on the mono. When fishing to small spots, this can cause a problem, so drop it down to something like a 3oz. If I am fishing on top of weed then I use the lightest lead that I can get away with. The heavier the lead, the deeper it will plug into the weed. The same goes for soft silt, I would try and avoid larger leads in that situation.
QWhen should I use boilies instead of particles and vice versa? Pat Kelly, via email RICH SEEDS: There is no set rule as to when to use either. I use boilies for most of my fishing, but in the summer month I will also use particles. The fish get big on boilies and carp absolutely love them. They can, however, be expensive, so if you are catching a lot of fish over a lot of bait, particles are a great way of bulking out your feed.
QI fished a really weedy lake last year and struggled despite regularly being on the fish. I fear my rig is getting lost in the weed. What set-up would you recommend? Scott Barker, Kent
MARCUS HOWARTH: In this situation, the only one for me would be the chod rig. This is, of course, if you cannot find any clear spots that you are happy to fish. The chod rig will fish over virtually any bottom and works especially well over silt, low-lying Canadian and onion weed. If I think that the weed is really bad, I simply lift the top bead slightly. You can have the rig running 5ft-6ft up from the lead and very rarely will you be fishing over weed any higher than that.
QHow often should I recast if I’m not getting bites? Mark Andrews, Wolverhampton TOM MAKER: This all depends on the venue. I am happy to recast regularly on lakes that have a high stock of fish. If at any point I think that I should have had a bite but haven’t, then I would recast. I have all the rods set with elastic on, so it is just a case of clipping it up on the way in, giving the bait a quick spray and getting it back out there. If I were fishing on a tricky lake and one bite a trip is common, I wouldn’t look to recast all the time. In this instance, casting leads around will probably do more harm than good.
QCould you suggest some ingredients for a stick mix? Steve Johnson, via email DAVE MAGALHAES: Sticks are perfect when fishing short sessions. The base of the mix is Manilla Active Mix. This is a very sweet smelling, instant bait and works perfectly as a stick. I then add a few matching pellets, which will break down fairly quickly too. I then add a some powders, ones that I have used for many years. These are Betaine and Liver Powder, which offer sweet and savoury tastes and smells to the mix. I finish it off with Cloudy Manilla. This gives the mix the dampness to form the stick and it adds heaps of attraction. Cloudy Manilla will leak off attraction for prolonged periods of and will help attract carp into the swim.